Royals beacon of hope Bob Hamelin

There have been many nicknames corresponding with the Kansas City Royals.

George Brett was known as "Mullet" in his early years and lately there's been Mike "The Sponge" Sweeney and Carlos "The Bigger Market" Beltran.

But there was a time when one Royals' nickname was a beacon of light amid years of futility. For the pre-teen Royals fans in the mid-1990's there was Bob "The Hammer" Hamelin.

Had you not paid attention to the 1994 baseball season you missed out on a portly power hitter who won the heart of Kansas City. Hamelin's 24 home runs that summer earned him the AL Rookie of the Year award, along with his nickname.

But much like other Royals R.O.Y. winners, he was one-and-done. Hamelin played another two mediocre years in K.C. - hitting a combined 16 home runs in the two summers - before a stint with Detroit in 1997.

However, for that one summer, "The Hammer" was a glimmer of hope for all of Kansas City's youth who had never seen the Royals reach the playoffs.